State asks feds for expedited approval of Tappan Zee construction

A project to rebuild the aging Tappan Zee Bridge between Rockland and Westchester counties could get started next year if the federal government OKs Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s request for expedited approval, the governor’s office announced today.

The state has identified the Tappan Zee project as “high priority” and has submitted it as part of a competition launched by President Obama earlier this year that offers expedited federal approval for certain projects that would create jobs.

If chosen by the federal government, the Tappan Zee project’s Environmental Impact Statement and certain permits would be processed faster.

“The Tappan Zee Bridge is a vital part of our state and region’s infrastructure,” Cuomo said in a statement. “The Tappan Zee Bridge project improves a key component of our state and nation’s infrastructure, and at the same time puts tens of thousands of New Yorkers back to work.”

Built in the 1950s, the aging structure is expected to cost billions to repair. Cuomo’s office says the project has “the potential to generate more jobs than any other infrastructure project in the nation.”